Manitou Asinîy, also known as the Manitou Stone, to return home
The Government of Alberta has signed a co-stewardship agreement to work with the Manitou Asinîy-Iniskim-Tsa Xani Center to return the Manitou Stone to its historic home where it will be protected and shared.
The meteorite returned to Alberta in 1972 when the University of Toronto loaned it to the Royal Alberta Museum, and it was renamed the Manitou Stone. In 2002, the UofT transferred stewardship of the stone to the museum. Studies determined the 145-kilogram rock was more than four billion years old.
Methodist missionary George McDougall felt the stone hampered his ability to convert Indigenous people to Christianity. So, he stole it and moved it to his churchyard near Smoky Lake. It sat there for 10 years before he donated it to his alma mater Victoria Methodist College. For a century, it remained in Victoria College, which became part of the UofT.
Edmonton ward Sspomitapi honours the Buffalo Old Man meteorite, now named Manitou Stone. Sspomitapi means star person in Blackfoot. The ward name was given in honour of the Buffalo Old Man meteorite that was located within Blackfoot territory. They permitted all tribes to share and perform ceremonies before the meteorite was taken away in 1866.
In Blackfoot cosmology, the sun is the father, and the moon is the mother. There are many stories acknowledging the sky beings which include the stars. Sspomitapi was sent to earth by the creator for the Blackfoot and the bison to have a reciprocal relationship. It is also brought sacred teaching which are still used today. Watch video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmUhuqbGIJY
Not all owls are nocturnal
Owls are top predators and help control populations of rodents, including mice. Most populations are secure in their status, but some are Sensitive in Alberta, and the Burrowing Owl is endangered in Canada. Conserving forest, grassland and open habitat is important for ensuring healthy populations.
Owls do not build nests, but use tree cavities, abandoned nests of crows and hawks, or mammal burrows. Some also use artificial nest boxes or platforms. They swallow their food whole, and regurgitate a pellet of the inedible fur, feathers and bones a few hours later.
Not all owls are nocturnal. Some are active during the day, and some are most active at dawn and dusk, referred to as crepuscular. The Great Horned Owl is Alberta’s official bird. Edmonton & Area Land Trust has prepared an Alberta Owls info sheet https://static1.squarespace.com/static/569ec99b841abaccb7c7e74c/t/62b0dcabc39f03541beb9b12/1655757997412/Infosheet_Owls.pdf
Roper Pond natural area a YEG hidden gem
Located at 7004 McIntyre Rd, Roper Pond was constructed in 2004 as a naturalized stormwater treatment facility and was built to mimic a riverine marsh ecosystem. The site consists of a large open water area with an emergent vegetation fringe and surrounding upland deciduous forests along the southwest and southeast perimeter of the wetland.
Roper Pond is connected to riparian areas of Mill Creek that form a relatively continuous corridor southward. The Mill Creek riparian corridor also extends northward to the North Saskatchewan River; however, portions of the creek are culverted causing interruptions in the corridor.
It has a loop trail that can easily be done in less than ½ hour. Driving by this industrial area, you would never know this neat natural area existed in the heart of Edmonton. Moose, deer, rabbits, coyotes, gophers, and a large variety of birds, including owls, plants and insects, have been seen here. Information at
https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/environmental_stewardship/roper-pond-constructed-wetland
Fall owl banding at Lady Flower Gardens until October 28
Boreal Avian Research & Conservation Association (BARCA) is doing owl banding at Lady Flower Gardens every Thursday and Friday evening until October 28. On September 22, they successfully released a rehabilitated Long-eared owl from WILDNorth. They also captured and banded three Northern Saw-whet owls, two hatch-year and one second year.
After breeding season ends and young saw-whet owls become completely independent, they start moving away from breeding grounds. Data suggests that the juvenile owls are the first to start this journey, followed by older birds. In Alberta, post-natal dispersion of these small owls, as well as Fall movements, are still not well understood.
By trapping and banding owls during September to October, BARCA wants to investigate the timing and the magnitude of Northern Saw-whet owl migration, as well as document the importance of forested habitats near large urban centers or industrial areas.
One of its main study sites is at Lady Flower Gardens, an 80-hectare floodplain forest, situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. Dominant trees are balsam poplar and trembling aspen, with pockets of white spruce. It is one of the few native forest pockets in the highly industrialized area around Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. More information at https://www.barcaalberta.org/news
Ghost Magpie – Photo by Lu Carbyn
Comment or contribution
Please note that articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the wide variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley. Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712